ICYMI - The NBA 2K18 Prelude release is live and as a reminder, that means fans can now download the demo on PS4 and Xbox One, but unfortunately, PC and Nintendo Switch users miss out.

The Prelude allows users to download a demo, which is around 11.76 GB in size, which gives players access to the new social space known as the neighbourhood as well as a head start on to the Prelude a full week before NBA 2K18 arrives and get a head start on their MyPLAYER career.

The MyPLAYER career will also carry over for anyone who buys the full game, which is out next week, September 15th for pre-order customers, or September 19, 2017 when it goes on sale at retail.

NBA 2K18 - Run The Neighborhood Screenshots, part of The Prelude Demo

Take a closer look at NBA 2K18's new social space known as The Neighborhood, which is available to explore during the games Prelude demo.

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NBA 2K18 PRELUDE RELEASE UPDATE 2

The MyNBA 2K18 companion app is here, a day early and available now for iOS and Android devices, however, the Community Manager for the game has noted that the app doesn’t “officially launch” until tomorrow - so if you encounter any issues, that’s likely the reason why.

Why is it important to note that the MyNBA 2K18 companion app is live? Well, that's because you'll need it if you want to use Face Scan to put yourself in the game.

The MyNBA2K Twitter feed also warned players: "Heads up - You must first log in to The Prelude to link your NBA2K account or use Face Scan."

And with everyone likely doing this at the exact same time when servers go live, don't be surprised if things are a little slow, to begin with.

The Prelude is available later today at 12:01 AM ES, which is 5AM BST.

For those interested, below is also a complete list of features for the MyNBA2K18 app, including:

• Integration with NBA 2K18:• Facial Scanning with your mobile device to get YOU in NBA 2K18 on PS4 and Xbox One• Earn Virtual Currency daily• Shop for console items while on the go from expanded MyPLAYER Store• Watch 2KTV any time from your device.• Many ways to play with Quick Game, Playoff, and PVP game modes• Daily Objectives – complete each day for in-game rewards• Team Login Incentives – Login daily to earn team packs to distribute to teammates• Over 300 new cards for the NBA’s 2017-2018 season

Stay tuned for more info, the Prelude is set to drop in less than two hours time!

As many might well know, the NBA 2K18 prelude is coming out tomorrow morning on PS4 and Xbox One at 5AM BST.

It's understandable why such a feature might not be coming to Nintendo Switch, given what we imagine are further complications that come with such a task on a relatively new console.

This is especially true when, as already reported, it's not possible to play the game on Switch without having an additional Micro SD card.

But the lack of a PC Prelude demo is perhaps more perplexing, especially when you consider that the NBA 2K games have featured on the platform for quite a few years.

Recently, we had the chance to interview the game's producer, Rob Jones, and in one of the many community questions we were asked to put to the Visual Concepts team, one concerned why PC users were not getting the extra special Prelude demo that's coming to PS4 and Xbox One.

According to Jones, it's simply a matter of timing.

"Generally, we optimise to PC," Jones told us.

"There’s so much more we can do to optimise to PC, so we’ve spent most of our time making sure we can do that, but it happens, after the Prelude timing."

NBA 2K18's Prelude demo is nearly here, launching a week ahead of the games early access release on the 15th September.

This free download is only available for PS4 and Xbox One, but unfortunately, PC and Nintendo Switch users will miss out on the demo.

The NBA 2K18 prelude release is set for this Friday, September 8, at 12:01AM EST, globally, which for anyone in the UK will be 5am BST on Xbox One and PS4.

“Fans can get an early taste of NBA 2K18 with this free, downloadable experience that begins their journey into The Neighborhood, the groundbreaking new way to play NBA 2K,” the official prelude description explains.

“The Neighborhood brings together the most loved elements of NBA 2K together into a shared world for players to truly experience the life of an NBA athlete, both on and off the court.”

PS4 and Xbox One Players will also be able to get a jump start on their NBA 2K18 MyCAREER mode, which they can take with them into the full game when it launches later this month.

Be it September 15th for pre-order customers or September 19, 2017 for everyone else.

Unlike some demo's fans don't need to log in with separate accounts set to New Zealand and Australian regions in an attempt to play early.

That's because it's launching globally across all servers at the same time.

As well as getting a start on MYCareer the Prelude will also give fans their first look at the exciting new social space known as 'The Neighborhood'.

"The Neighborhood brings together the most loved elements of NBA 2K together into a shared world for players to truly experience the life of an NBA athlete, both on and off the court." explained a 2K Games representative.

Essentially the Neighbourhood is one big open-world social environment to be explored where players can customise their character by visiting barber shops to get a new cut, or a Foot Locker to select some sweet new kicks - and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

"The Neighborhood is unlike anything ever seen in NBA 2K or any other sports career mode before," explained 2K. MyPLAYERs live in a

"MyPLAYERs live in a neighbourhood environment with several locations in the city blocks to visit, flush with other MyPLAYERS and characters with whom to interact.

"Experiences and ratings revolve around player actions, whether it’s running into Kyrie Irving while getting a shave at the barbershop, competing on the courts in The Playground, getting inked at the tattoo parlour, listening to the latest beats or showing off the latest gear to friends while strolling the block."

Talking about this revolutionary new feature for the series, Greg Thomas, President of Visual Concepts said:

“We’ve elevated the NBA 2K experience to new heights by putting players at the center of a fully-immersive basketball environment to explore, socialise, and most importantly compete.

"We can’t wait to see what this means for the future of the brand, and for fans to get their hands on NBA 2K18 starting September 15th.”

2K GAMES

Old vs New

Earlier today a new cover was also revealed for the game, following a Summer long saga that saw NBA 2K18 cover star Kyrie Irving switching from the Cleveland Cavaliers to Boston Celtics.

The Cavs point guard eventually moved to the Celtics and today NBA 2K released the games new cover art, which was changed to reflect the players change of team.

This new artwork shows Irving in his new Boston Celtics uniform and according to 2K it will be released "at a later date", which might mean some retail copies of the game will still be available with Irving in his Cavs uniform.

In addition to this, it was recently revealed that the Nintendo Switch version of the game will require a MicroSD card in order for Switch owners to play the game.

It's likely that most Nintendo titles moving forward won't require the extra memory space, since the biggest game the company has released so far was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild which was only 13GB.

However third-party titles such as NBA 2K18 and FIFA 18 are likely to take up more space due to the size of the assets used to create the games (which also release on PS4, Xbox One and PC - systems with much more storage).

The NBA 2K18 file size is supposedly over 20GB's and as such a MicroSD card is required.

Nintendo has said it will be putting new icons and warnings on the Nintendo Switch boxart to ensure players know that some games will only operate with an extra piece of hardware installed.